AMAZON

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The Muffin Saga Part IV and Other Stuff

The Muffin Saga, Part IV

A few years after Muffin joined our family, we went on a camping vacation to the SmokeyMountains. Muffin stayed at a doggy hotel and didn’t accompany us. As soon as we got home, I picked up Muffin from her vacation hotel and, with her sitting beside me and licking my face, brought her home.

The next day we went shopping to restock out pantry shelves.After we returned home, I realized that Muffin wasn’t in the house. All of a sudden I remembered that she had gone outside to do her doggy thing and we’d not called her in before we left on the shopping excursion. I wasn’t worried because I figured that sooner or later Muffin, who was probably out raiding garbage cans, would show up on the porch, barking to be let in for her supper.

But she didn’t. And when darkness came, I became worried. I walked the town streets; then drove the town streets all night looking for her. By daylight I found that I had been up all night and had found no Muffin. I became resigned that she may have been hit and killed by a car, even though I didn’t find her body anywhere during my all-night search.

So I decided on another search, this time in daylight. I also decided that before I undertook this search I’d telephone the mayor, a member of my congregation, and ask him to inform the town's agencies that, should Muffin’s body be located, to contact me before disposing of it.

I can still picture the moment when I picked up the telephone to dial the mayor’s home. My hand was shaking and, even though I’d memorized the telephone number years before, I couldn’t remember it. I replaced the handset in the telephone cradle and picked up the church directory to look up the number.

It was then that I heard a noise outside the parsonage door. I opened it and found Muffin lying on her side crying. I was about to express my joy when I saw the blood around her left hind leg and side. I called out to my sons; we wrapped Muffin in a blanket, and drove her to the animal hospital. The vet’s assistant took her out of my arms and carried Muffin into an examining room. The half hour or so that we waited for word on her condition was one of the longest I have ever spent in my life.

The vet finally came to us and said that luckily Muffin had had no internal injuries. She had, however, evidently been hit by a vehicle and her hind leg was broken. He recommended surgery to insert a metal rod in her leg until it healed. Of course I OK’d it and the vet set to work operating on my shaggy dog.

The vet kept Muffin over night to be sure she came out of the anesthetic OK. When I picked her up, I saw that she had about two inches of a steel rod sticking up out of her hind leg. Being Muffin, she quickly learned to walk with the stiff leg. About ten weeks later the vet removed the rod and Muffin was completely healed—not even a limp!

Where had Muffin been all night? The vet suggested that after she had been injured she may have crawled somewhere she considered safe and hid there to regain her strength. With daylight she made her way the rest of the way home.

It’s been cold here for the past several days with temperatures dropping into single digits (F). This morning is a bit warmer. The present temperature is 33 F. However, that terrible fluffy water that Alex so dislikes is now outside:

Mostly, Alex and I have been keeping warm. We have spent an abnormal amount of time in bed, with the furball snuggling close to my body for warmth. When we have been awake, Alex has spent his time eating, attacking my nose-hose, catnapping on heat vents, and making demands to “go outside,” which usually result with him sitting at an open door, looking out, but never going out, as the video below documents:

Recently the cat who owns me has discovered a way to combine two of his activities. He naps on or next to the furnace vent with my nose-hose under his body. Thus, if I move, he is warned so he can attack the hose:

Muffin was very lucky...I had cousins who moved back to the US after living in Germany for years...they went through the process of bring their dog over and a few days after they arrived the dog ran away and was hit by a car and died. Poor thing.

I want to cat nap on a heat vent. Would warm me up. We got 6-8 more inches of Alex's favorite white stuff last night, but a blessed angel came and plowed our driveway this morning....I culdn't even attract his attention to say thank you, but it just reminds me that there are kind people in this world. Stay warm Nick.

I missed so much being away. I think I am caught up including two, count them ONE, TWO installments of Muffin adventures. How wonderful.

I feared the worst for poor Muffin. We had a cat at one point that disappeared for probably two weeks. When he came back he was beat up but it looked like some kind soul helped him out and was good enough to let him go again. I was so happy to have him back. Looking forward to the next installment.

Alex and the nose-hose. You are going to have to get him back to taking trips outside so your poor hose has a little piece and quiet while you move about. I am sure it will warm up any day now ... wait a minute, let me peek. Ah, as of Friday the temps like much better and Tuesday is looking mighty fine. The end is in sight.

I am beginning to hear the words “recession” and “crash” quite a bit in the media. That’s not good.

I keep telling you, Rev Saint, that you and Alex need to move out here with me in the Arizona desert. There is no snow (except in the mountains) and I believe your breathing would improve without the air pollution of the Ohio River Valley.

that's what happened to willow. a year and a half ago he disappeared for four days, me and my flatmate went out every night calling for him. then as i came back from work on the fifth day he crawled out of his kat kabin and hobbled towards me. poor thing could hardly walk, he had broken both his leg and hip. he must have been hit by a car. how he managed to get back to the house i'll never know - he's such a brave boy. he's all mended now; still walks a bit funny though. still as active as ever. but he's indoors today - he had another cat scrap yesterday!

I wonder why the person who hit her didn't stop to help, people can be so horrid sometimes :(

It looks truly cold there, very glad you got Alex to snuggle up to! He sounds like a hysterical cat. I really want one but my housemate is allergic. I love her and all, but would it be rude to kill her so I can have a cat? ;)